Patient garment with improved access

ABSTRACT

A patient garment to improve medical access includes a back and a front, wherein a top portion of the front is removably secured to a top portion of the back via a plurality of shoulder fasteners. The front may comprise one or more openings that may be covered with plackets. Epaulets or other bands of material may secure the plackets to the garment. The front may also comprise a left side and a right side, wherein the left side is removably attached to the right side via one or more front fasteners.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a U.S. nonprovisional patent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/418,541, filed Dec. 1, 2010, which provisional patent application is incorporated by reference herein.

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

1. Field of the Present Invention

The present invention relates generally to medical gowns and garments, and, in particular, to patient garments having openings to improve medical access to the patient.

2. Background

Many patients are required to be treated and monitored with medical tubes or wires that attach to various parts of the patient's body. Oftentimes, the positioning of said tubes and/or wires causes discomfort to the patient. One such discomfort is limited movement. Another involves medical garments pushing against sensitive parts of the patient's body. Another involves exposing sensitive and/or private parts of a patient's body.

A need exists for improvement in patient garments that improve access and comfort. This, and other needs, are addressed by one or more aspects of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention includes many aspects and features. Moreover, while many aspects and features relate to, and are described in, the context of patient medical garments, the present invention is not limited to use only in such garments, as will become apparent from the following summaries and detailed descriptions of aspects, features, and one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention relates to a patient garment to improve medical access as substantially shown and described herein. An exemplary such garment includes one or more openings providing access to an interior portion of the patient garment and one or more plackets, wherein each of the one or more plackets covers one of the one or more openings.

In a feature of this aspect, the garment further includes an epaulet affixed to each of the one or more plackets, wherein each epaulet secures one of the one or more plackets to the patient garment.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a patient garment to improve medical access. An exemplary such garment includes a back and a front. A top portion of the front is removably secured to a top portion of the back via a plurality of shoulder fasteners.

In a feature of this aspect of the invention the front comprises one or more plackets.

In another feature of this aspect, the front comprises one or more epaulets.

In yet another feature, the front comprises a left side and a right side, and wherein the left side is removably attached to the right side via one or more front fasteners.

In still another feature, the garment resembles a v-neck, button-down shirt.

In yet another feature, the patient garment further comprises one or more pockets.

In still another feature, the garment extends approximately to the patient's waist.

In another feature, the garment extends approximately to the patient's knees.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to an upper-body garment providing improved medical access to a wearer of the garment, including: a first body portion formed from a first expanse of material and having a first edge; a second body portion formed from a second expanse of material and having a second edge, wherein the second body portion may be manipulated by a user to removably couple the second edge to the first edge, thereby at least partially enabling the garment to be donned by the wearer; and an opening, arranged in the second body portion, that extends from the second edge of the second body portion into the second expanse of material; whereby the garment may be donned by the wearer by placing it on the wearer such that the opening is disposed around wires or tubes worn by or connected to the wearer and subsequently coupling the first and second body portions together by coupling the first edge to the second edge.

In a feature of this aspect, the first body portion is the rear of a shirt and the second body portion is the front of the shirt. In a further feature, the shirt includes two sleeve openings and a neck opening, and wherein the first edge and the second edge each extend from one of the sleeve openings to the neck opening.

In still further features, the opening in the second body portion extends downward into the second expanse of material of the second body portion; the opening is defined and/or covered by a placket; and the opening is a first opening and is located on the left side of the front of the shirt, and a second opening, similar to the first opening and likewise defined and/or covered by a placket, is further arranged on the right side of the front of the shirt;

In another further feature, the upper-garment includes fasteners along the respective first and second edges.

In another further feature, the front includes a left side and a right side, and wherein the left side is removably attached to the right side via one or more front fasteners.

In another feature of this aspect, the opening is defined and/or covered by a placket. In further features, the opening has opposed side edges and the garment further comprises a band of material that removably couples the opposed side edges together; and the band of material is an epaulet.

In another feature of this aspect, the first body portion is the left side of a shirt and the second body portion is the right side of a shirt.

In another feature of this aspect, a wire or tube worn by or connected to the wearer extends through the opening.

In another feature of this aspect, the garment resembles a v-neck, button-down shirt.

In another feature of this aspect, the garment further includes one or more pockets.

In another feature of this aspect, the garment extends approximately to the patient's waist.

In another feature of this aspect, the garment extends approximately to the patient's knees.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of dressing a person with an upper-body garment that provides improved medical access to the person, including: providing an upper-body garment, having a first body portion formed from a first expanse of material and having a first edge, a second body portion formed from a second expanse of material and having a second edge, and an opening, arranged in the second body portion, that extends from the second edge of the second body portion into the second expanse of material; installing at least one medical wire or tube on a person; placing the garment on the wearer such that the opening is disposed around the at least one medical wire or tube; and subsequently, coupling the first and second body portions together by removably coupling the second edge to the first edge.

In a feature of this aspect, the method further includes a step of coupling one side of the opening to the other to retain the at least one medical wire or tube within the opening.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features, embodiments, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an upper-body patient garment providing improved medical access in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of an extended length patient garment in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a top portion of the patient garment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the patient garment of FIG. 1 being worn by a patient;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the patient garment of FIG. 4, showing the placket folded open;

FIG. 6A is a front view of an epaulet for use with a patient garment with improved access in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is the epaulet of FIG. 6A folded over itself to secure tubing; and

FIG. 7 is a front view of the patient garment of FIG. 1 folded open to reveal the interior

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art (“Ordinary Artisan”) that the present invention has broad utility and application. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the invention and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present invention.

Accordingly, while the present invention is described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present invention, and is made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.

Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders while still falling within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention is to be defined by the appended claims rather than the description set forth herein.

Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which the Ordinary Artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the Ordinary Artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the Ordinary Artisan should prevail.

Regarding applicability of 35 U.S.C. §112, ¶6, no claim element is intended to be read in accordance with this statutory provision unless the explicit phrase “means for” or “step for” is actually used in such claim element, whereupon this statutory provision is intended to apply in the interpretation of such claim element.

Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having an apple” describes “a picnic basket having at least one apple” as well as “a picnic basket having apples.” In contrast, reference to “a picnic basket having a single apple” describes “a picnic basket having only one apple.”

When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese or crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese without crackers,” “a picnic basket having crackers without cheese,” and “a picnic basket having both cheese and crackers.” Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.” Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese and crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese, wherein the picnic basket further has crackers,” as well as describes “a picnic basket having crackers, wherein the picnic basket further has cheese.”

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like components throughout the several views, one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention are next described. The following description of one or more preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its implementations, or uses.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an upper-body patient garment 10 providing medical improved access in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention, while FIG. 2 is a front view of an extended length patient garment in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention. The garment 10 of FIG. 1 may be of standard shirt length, while the garment 110 of FIG. 2 may cover a patient down to the knees. Each garment 10,110 improves medical related access to a patient while protecting the patient's need for privacy.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a top portion of the patient garment 10 of FIG. 1. It will be appreciated, however, that the top portion of the garment 110 of FIG. 2 would appear similar to shown in FIG. 3. As shown therein, the garment 10 resembles a short-sleeve, V-neck, button-down shirt. The garment 10 comprises a back 12, a front left portion 14, a front right portion 16, and one or more plackets 18, each placket 18 being secured by a cloth epaulet or other band of material 20. The front left portion 14 and front right portion 16 are removably attached with one or more front fasteners 22, such as snaps, zippers, hook and loop (such as VELCRO®), buttons, or a combination thereof. The front left and front right portions 14,16 are integrally attached to the back 12 along the underarms and sides of the garment 10. The front left and front right portions 14,16 are removably secured to the back 12 via a plurality of shoulder fasteners 24, such as snaps, zippers, hook and loop (such as VELCRO®), buttons, or a combination thereof. The plurality of shoulder fasteners 24 are positioned along the top edge of the front left and front right portions 14,16 and back 12 such that when secured, the plurality of shoulder fasteners 24 partially define a left arm opening 26, a right arm opening 28, and a neck opening 30 in the garment 10. One or more of the shoulder fasteners 24 may be unfastened, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, to allow for procedure and medical line access and reduce interference in radiology, medical exams or other procedures. The garment 10 may also include one or more pockets 32 that may contain portable defibrillators, medical devices, or other hospital equipment.

Each garment 10,110 includes a placket 18 on both the front left portion 14 and front right portion 16. Each placket 18 is double faced and approximately 2-inches wide. As best illustrated in FIG. 5, each placket 18 is permanently secured to the garment 10 along the placket's 18 bottom and inside edges and remains unsecured along the placket's 18 top and outside edges. Each placket 18 is configured to define or cover an opening 34 that is adapted to allow tubing 36 or other medical lines to pass therethrough. Each placket 18 is secured to the garment via an epaulet 20. Each epaulet 20 includes a proximal end permanently affixed to the garment 10 with stitching or other appropriate means and a distal end which is removably secured to the garment via a fastener 38, such as a snap. Each epaulet 20 is positioned to pass over tubing 36 as shown in FIG. 4. In one or more alternative embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the epaulet 120 may cross under the tubing 36, fold back on itself and around said tubing 36, and be secured with a snap 121 at the proximal end thereof.

The opening 34 defined or covered by the placket 18 allows tubing 36 and other medical lines to access the patient without readjusting the garment 10 or forcing the garment 10 to pull against the patient's neck. This allows the patient more freedom of movement without the constant need to hold tubing 36 or other medical lines to prevent said tubing 36 from dislodging.

FIG. 7 is a view of the garment 10 showing the front fasteners 22 unfastened and the front right portion 16 and front left portion 14 folded open to show the interior of the garment 10. Additionally, several, but not all, of the shoulder fasteners 24 are unsecured. The hidden portions of the sleeves are shown in alternating dashed-dotted lines. The plackets 18 are shown in both dashed and solid lines. The solid lines indicate edges of the plackets 18 that are not integral with the garment 10. The dashed lines indicate where the plackets 18 are integrally attached to the garment 10.

Except as otherwise described, the garment 10,110 may be constructed according to conventional techniques and processes from a plurality of body portions, each formed from an expanse of material.

In at least some embodiments, the fasteners 22,24 include indicia to make it easier to properly identify the various portions of the garment, thus making it easier to determine which portion goes where and which fasteners 22,24 are to be coupled together. Also in at least some embodiments, the epaulets 20 include indicia for similar reasons. Further, in at least some embodiments, the indicia on the epaulets 20 is selected in relation to the indicia on the fasteners 22,24. The indicia may include color-coding, labeling, or any other suitable means of distinguishing one fastener or epaulet from another.

Based on the foregoing information, it will be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those specifically described herein, as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing descriptions thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention.

Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to one or more preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for the purpose of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications or equivalent arrangements; the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof. 

1. An upper-body garment providing improved medical access to a wearer of the garment, comprising: (a) a first body portion formed from a first expanse of material and having a first edge; (b) a second body portion formed from a second expanse of material and having a second edge, wherein the second body portion may be manipulated by a user to removably couple the second edge to the first edge, thereby at least partially enabling the garment to be donned by the wearer; and (c) an opening, arranged in the second body portion, that extends from the second edge of the second body portion into the second expanse of material; (d) whereby the garment may be donned by the wearer by placing it on the wearer such that the opening is disposed around wires or tubes worn by or connected to the wearer and subsequently coupling the first and second body portions together by coupling the first edge to the second edge.
 2. The upper-body garment of claim 1, wherein the first body portion is the rear of a shirt and the second body portion is the front of the shirt.
 3. The upper-body garment of claim 2, wherein the shirt includes two sleeve openings and a neck opening, and wherein the first edge and the second edge each extend from one of the sleeve openings to the neck opening.
 4. The upper-body garment of claim 3, wherein the opening in the second body portion extends downward into the second expanse of material of the second body portion.
 5. The upper-body garment of claim 4, wherein the opening is defined and/or covered by a placket.
 6. The upper-body garment of claim 5, wherein the opening is a first opening and is located on the left side of the front of the shirt, and wherein a second opening, similar to the first opening and likewise defined and/or covered by a placket, is further arranged on the right side of the front of the shirt.
 7. The upper-body garment of claim 3, further comprising fasteners along the respective first and second edges.
 8. The upper-body garment of claim 3, wherein the front includes a left side and a right side, and wherein the left side is removably attached to the right side via one or more front fasteners.
 9. The upper-body garment of claim 1, wherein the opening is defined and/or covered by a placket.
 10. The upper-body garment of claim 9, wherein the opening has opposed side edges and wherein the garment further comprises a band of material that removably couples the opposed side edges together.
 11. The upper-body garment of claim 10, wherein the band of material is an epaulet.
 12. The upper-body garment of claim 1, wherein the first body portion is the left side of a shirt and the second body portion is the right side of a shirt.
 13. The upper-body garment of claim 1, wherein a wire or tube worn by or connected to the wearer extends through the opening.
 14. The upper-body garment of claim 1, wherein the garment resembles a v-neck, button-down shirt.
 15. The upper-body garment of claim 1, further comprising one or more pockets.
 16. The upper-body garment of claim 1, wherein the garment extends approximately to the patient's waist.
 17. The upper-body garment of claim 1, wherein the garment extends approximately to the patient's knees.
 18. A method of dressing a person with an upper-body garment that provides improved medical access to the person, comprising: (a) providing an upper-body garment, having: (i) a first body portion formed from a first expanse of material and having a first edge, (ii) a second body portion formed from a second expanse of material and having a second edge, and (iii) an opening, arranged in the second body portion, that extends from the second edge of the second body portion into the second expanse of material; (b) installing at least one medical wire or tube on a person; (c) placing the garment on the wearer such that the opening is disposed around the at least one medical wire or tube; and (d) subsequently, coupling the first and second body portions together by removably coupling the second edge to the first edge.
 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising a step of coupling one side of the opening to the other to retain the at least one medical wire or tube within the opening. 